Technological compliance and usefulness of heating and cooling systems in on-campus student housing in Ghana

Purpose – Energy consumption, coupled with the adaptation of smart student housing continues to rise. However, little is known about compliance with heating and cooling systems in smart student housing in sub-Saharan African countries. This study assessed the heating and cooling systems and their perceived usefulness in student housing in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach – Mixed research approaches were used to determine the compliance and perceived usefulness of heating and cooling systems of student housing based on Ghana Building Standards, 2018, ASHRAE 55, ISO, standards. Survey and semi-structured interviews were used and analyzed through descriptive mean scores and thematic representations. Findings – The study found high compliance with mechanical cooling services as compared to smart hot and cold-water systems. Lack of readiness to adopt smart heating and cooling systems was attributed to cost, user demand and fear of energy consumption, and maintenance. The perceived usefulness of heating, cooling and mechanical systems was largely operational and socio-physically dependent. Practical implications – Technically, the violation of a complete package of hot and cold cooling and heating systems readiness has implications on student housing energy operation cost, user comfort and convenience and feedback to the student housing market. Originality/value – The study contributes to studies on smart readiness in buildings and its implication on energy efficiency from the student housing perspective. Further, the addition of perceived usefulness in the study deviates from large studies that focus on technical smart readiness.